According to the Bulls mentor, Kiwi refs allow the game ro flow better than their Australian and South African counterparts. “We prefer them (rather than those from Australia or South Africa) because they go out of their way to try and make every match a spectacle,” Meyer told the Beeld.

“They try very hard to get the game flowing and that’s why they don’t award so many penalties. Unfortunately the already complicated rugby rules are interpreted and implemented differently by all the Sanzar referees. This shift in emphasis confuses the players, but professional teams have to adapt,” he said.

“Our experience is that our own and Australian referees, blow for every technicality, much more than their New Zealand counterparts.”

“In most cases they’re technically correct, because rugby’s rules are such that I can stand with my back to the field and award a penalty after every maul and scrum and I’ll be correct nine times out of 10. The root of the problem lies in the complexity of the rules.”

“We’ve got to ask ourselves the question whether soccer’s increasing worldwide popularity is not a direct result of the simplicity of the game’s rules?”